A WEEKEND WITH GRAZIERS

February is one of those months when Farmers can sneak away for a bit if they have very good neighbors. That's when we went up to Stevens Point to attend the 17th Annual Wisconsin Grazing Conference. (See http://grassworks.org/.) Wow! Would you believe that when some people say "conventional farming," what they really mean is a kind of food production that has only existed for about 50 years? What happened to the family farm? Some of you who have tried it already know, but heart. The family farm is starting to make a name for itself as the wave of the future.

The factory farms that are now called "traditional" have little resemblance to what you or I might remember. Little resemblance to the Fisher Price layout with a variety of animals, and the feed for those animals growing on peaceful fields in the background. If we want that postcard back in real life, we'll have to have to work for it, and perhaps learn a thing or two in the process. MANAGED GRAZING is more like "what we grew up with," with the difference that we (with the help of researchers) have much more info about the benefits of crop rotation, knowing your animals, your land, and your customers personally; and paying attention to local foods.

So.... Watch for local foods at Hawley Auztions! Also watch our little
garden grow. Karen is determined to disguise some of the clutter
around here with some pretty stuff. We're both into the tasty stuff
too. Bring your garden overruns to the auction house, and we'll all
take home healthy loot!